What is Volleyballl?

Volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the
players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the
ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned. To
prevent this a player on the opposing team bats the ball up and toward a teammate
before it touches the court surface—that teammate may then volley it back across
the net or bat it to a third teammate who volleys it across the net. A team is allowed
only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net.

Brief history of volleyball game

Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan, physical director of the Young
Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was designed as an
indoor sport for businessmen who found the new game of basketball too vigorous.
Morgan called the sport “mintonette,” until a professor from Springfield College in
Massachusetts noted the volleying nature of play and proposed the name of
“volleyball.” The original rules were written by Morgan and printed in the first edition
of the Official Handbook of the Athletic League of the Young Men’s Christian
Associations of North America (1897). The game soon proved to have wide appeal for
both sexes in schools, playgrounds, the armed forces, and other organizations in the
United States, and it was subsequently introduced to other countries.

Volleyball Equipment & Facilities

Volleyball Court Dimensions
The Volleyball court is 60 feet by 30 feet in total. The net in placed in the center of the court,
making each side of the net 30 feet by 30 feet.
Center Line
A center line is marked at the center of the court dividing it equally into 30 feet squares, above
which the net is placed.
Attack Line
An attack line is marked 10 feet of each side of the center line.
Service Line
A service line, the area from which the server may serve the volleyball, is marked 10 feet inside
the right sideline on each back line.
The Net
The net is placed directly above the center line, 7 feet 4 inches above the ground for women and
8 feet above the ground for men.
Poles
Volleyball poles should be set at 36 feet apart, 3 feet further out from the sidelines.
Ceiling Height
The minimum ceiling height should be 23 feet, though they should preferably be higher.

Net
Net is one meter long and 9.5 to 10 meter wide. It is tied vertically above the center line of the court to
posts fixed at either sides of the court, at a distance of one meter from the sidelines. The center of the net
should lie 2.43 meter above the ground for men and 2.24 meter for women. At the sides the net may be
higher by a maximum of 2cm, however it should be tied at the same height at both the posts.

The court width is marked on the net with a tape and a flexible antennas of one meter extends from the
tape marker on both sides of the net. These markings help the referee determine when the ball goes
outside the court.

Ball
Volley ball a spherical ball of 65-67 cm circumference. It is made of leather or any synthetic material and
weighs 260-280 g.

Volleyballs are available in various colors, however for international tournaments, FIVB approved balls
should only be used.

Other Equipment
Players of a team are uniformly dressed in jerseys, shorts, socks and sport shoes. Jerseys of each team has
a different color.

Officials

Scorers
The official scorer keeps track of the score throughout the volleyball game. Before the game
begins the scorer notes the starting lineup of each team and notifies the referees if the lineup
wasn’t received on time.
If a dispute or irregularity arises regarding the score, the scorer uses a buzzer to notify the first
and second referees. Additionally, when a substitution request arises, the scorer notifies the
referees.
Line Judges
At least two, and as many as four, line judges monitor each game. The line judges stand at the
corners of the court watching the lines to indicate whether a ball in play falls in or out of the
court.
If a server steps on the line during a serve, the line judge watching the given line notifies the
referees using a flag. When a player touches an out-of-play ball or if the ball hits an antenna, the
designated line judge also indicates the interference.
First Referee
The first referee stands on the referee stand and controls the play of the entire game. Whatever
issues arise during the game, the first referee determines the call and the has the final say. After
making a call, no player or other referee can argue the call, although a formal protest can be
placed with the scorer.
Before the match begins, the first referee inspects the equipment and the players uniforms. The
warm-ups and the coin toss also fall under the jurisdiction of the first referee.
Throughout the match, the first referee makes calls regarding faults and scoring issues. Following
the match, the first referee notes the score and signs the official paperwork.
Second Referee
The second referee works to assist the first referee throughout the game. If for some reason the
first referee cant finish her duties, the second referee may take the place of the first referee.
The second referee stands next to the post opposite the first referee. In addition to assisting the
first referee with determining faults throughout the game, the second referee is in charge of all
substitutions, timeouts and the actions of the scorers table.